Ilham Aliyev: 'Azerbaijan is pleased that Moscow and Washington have chosen Baku

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Azerbaijan is pleased with the fact that Moscow and Washington have chosen Baku as the venue for the meeting of the heads of the general staffs of Russia and the United States, said President Ilham Aliyev.

'I would especially like to note that the first meeting of the chiefs of the general staffs of the armed forces of Russia and the United States was held in Baku, and we are glad that our country was chosen to hold this meeting,' Aliyev emphasised at a meeting of the CIS heads of state in a narrow composition in Sochi.

According to him, Azerbaijan provided a platform for such talks. 'The very fact of holding such a meeting in Azerbaijan, of course, makes us happy and also speaks about the role that Azerbaijan plays in reducing risks,' the president said.

He noted that the first meeting of the chief of the general staff of Russia and the NATO military command was also held in Baku.

'And the last topic that I would like to mention is related to the issues of strengthening security. We are pleased that Azerbaijan, in this regard, also provides an opportunity to reduce risks. In the future, we are also ready to contribute to strengthening security and reducing risks,' said President Aliyev.

As reported, the chiefs of the general staff of Russia and the United States at the February 16 meeting in Baku agreed on joint measures to improve the security of military activities, reduce tensions and prevent the risks of incidents.

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valeriy Gerasimov and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford also exchanged views on the current state of Russian-American relations, assessments of the situation in international security in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and other key regions of the world.